So, before starting this journey, it might be worth wondering what you will learn and what typical job this leads to.

This track I have created should lead you in the direction of becoming a Data Analyst, but it will also depend on your background and the time you invest obviously. This track is also the introduction track for the data science one.

So, the find question that we need to answer probably is: what is data analysis? And how is it different from all the data-x jobs you see around?

Let’s start with this table, it’s a mix of different sources, and it also reflects my personal view on the topic:

Skills Business Analyst Data Analyst Data Scientist ML Engineer
Business Understanding High High Medium Medium
Programming & Software Low High High High
Data Viz High High High High
Databases Low Medium High High
Maths & Stats & ML Low Medium High High
Data Wrangling High High High High
Cloud Computing Low Low Medium High

So, you see how Business and Data Analysts tend to be closer to business, to data viz and to deriving insights from data, less than building complex models and building predictive algorithms.

Now, what are the key skills to become a Data Analyst? Accoring to TargetJobs :

  • A high level of mathematical ability
  • Programming languages, such as SQL, Oracle and Python
  • The ability to analyse, model and interpret data
  • Problem-solving skills
  • A methodical and logical approach
  • The ability to plan work and meet deadlines
  • Accuracy and attention to detail
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Teamworking skills
  • Written and verbal communication skills

And what are the typical jobs of a Data Analyst in a company?

  • build dashboards
  • clean and manipulate data
  • derive insights from data
  • assess the quality of the data, control bias…

If you found the article useful or see ways in which it could be improved, please leave a comment :)